Penington Institute and D.O.A have launched a new street poster campaign, ‘Between Us,’ to reduce harms associated with drug use.
Due to common stigmas surrounding drug use, Penington Institute engaged D.O.A to develop a targeted campaign that would allow more drug-related safety for drug-users.
The posters (featured image) contain targeted images, language and symbols that make sense to people who use drugs, such as:
- Naloxone nasal spray: raising awareness of Naloxone, a medicine that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
- Benzos: raising awareness about the increased risk of overdose from benzodiazepines, because many drug
users are unaware that Benzos stay in your system for days. - A ‘five pack’: reinforcing the availability of safe injecting equipment, including the well known ‘five pack’ –
a paper bag containing five clean syringes accessible through Needle and Syringe Program centres. - Methadone and suboxone: detailing new treatment options beyond the commonly used methadone and suboxone.
The designs are in a style so that it will attract the attention of people who use drugs.
The tone of the language in the campaign is conversational and aims to deliver meaningful messages that spark conversation between peers, rather than directives or checklists.
Ebony Gaylor, managing director of D.O.A said “Addressing complex societal and environmental issues is what D.O.A does best.
“This work, although simple in its output, has been built on evidence and carefully constructed to speak directly to our target audience.
“We worked with people who use drugs in the development of ‘Between Us,’ and have created a campaign that will not only resonate with the audience, but also get important information into the hands of people who can create positive change.”
The campaign will roll out state-wide via Needle and Syringe Program centres, a tactical street art campaign across key sites in Melbourne and digitally.
